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A rape case was registered on Saturday on the complaint of a United States woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a group of men at a five-star hotel in Connaught Place, police said.
They said the alleged gang rape took place in April and the “severely traumatised” victim returned to her home without lodging any complaint. Last month, she contacted Delhi Police through an NGO and inquiry was initiated in the matter.
“We have been able to contact the lady concerned and today we have received a complaint from her in first person. We have registered an FIR and investigation has begun,” said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and joint commissioner of police (Southwest).
Sources said the 30-year-old woman has been contacted over phone and she has shared the details.
Police also said they are in the process of approaching the US embassy.
The woman told police she was “severely traumatised” and after returning to US, she had to undergo counselling to come out of depression. The accused had allegedly threatened her of dire consequences if she reported the matter to anyone.
Sources said investigation has begun and the police has identified the tour and travel company that had arranged for her stay in Delhi.
She had come as part of a group to explore India and the travel agency in the US had asked their local franchise here to make arrangements for her stay, they said, adding the police has contacted the company.
The rape accused have been identified and will be arrested soon, sources said.
The complaint from the NGO was received last month on the official e-mail identity of Delhi police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma, following which the matter was forwarded to the police station concerned and an inquiry was initiated on November 28, sources added.
The officer said according to the complaint received from the US-based NGO, “a lady during the first-second week of April, when she had come to India, had been violated by a group of people”.
“Immediately Delhi Police started inquiring about it. The complaint was in second person through the NGO. After initial inquiry, we zeroed in on the place of the incident and also on the people involved in this.
“During the entire process of investigation, there is an established procedure pertaining to the victims from other countries and we are following that,” said Pathak.
Sources said the probe has revealed one of the staff members of the hotel could be involved.
The investigators are working on retrieving the CCTV footage of the month of April to identify the accused.